How ‘Cash Returns’ Are Replacing AI Momentum

“Over the last two months investors have shifted to paying up for certainty of cash returns while paring back their willingness to pay for future expected cash returns related to AI investments,” he wrote. Among 16 different stock factors 22V tracks, cash return, defined as dividends and buybacks as a share of net income, has performed the best this year, gaining 14.2% year to date. In addition to worries about profit growth, investors appear to be focused on rising bond yields.